Ministries:
Adult | Teens | Children

Pastor's Pen's:
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

Sermon Series:
Following Jesus
Earthly Cross
His Name Is
Apostles Creed
Dealing with Feelings
Jonah
Get Real
Promised Land Living

Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105

(262) 763-3021

Email:
Pastor Scott Carson

Secretary Patti Hall

PASTOR'S PENS 2005

Grace Church of Burlington June 12, 2005 “Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when  you would have preferred to talk.”    Doug Larson             Graduation is an exciting time. A time that seniors have anticipated for years. Seniors, how many times have you said, “I can’t wait until I graduate because then I will be able to do…” Guess what? That time is now. With freedom comes great responsibility. Now it is up to you to start making those crucial decisions for yourself. As we honor our graduates, let me share two insights that will help you in preparing for the future.             Life starts with God not after graduation. Most of us believe that once we are outside the home, our life begins. Just as soon as we are out of the reach of our parents and their rules, then presto, our lives begin. We can’t wait until we graduate. We wish our young lives away. Desperately yearning for the time when we can make decisions for our self. You want to make your own money to buy your own things, and do what YOU want to do.             But that’s not true freedom. True freedom is the chance to do what is right. True freedom doesn’t make selfish decisions, but decisions based on what God’s will is! God’s will isn’t always easy. It isn’t always fun. But it is always right. A spiritually decomposing world wants to sell you their version of life. There are commercials that infer that if you drink their fluids you obtain the “high life”, or the “good life.”  The world wants us to believe that life is about owning material objects. The one with all of the gold rules, or the one who has the most or best toys at the end wins. The only problem with this lifestyle is when does it end? We live in a day and time when owning the best can and will only last until tomorrow. Look at how the computers function. What’s cutting edge today is a dinosaur tomorrow. Don’t allow a secular world contaminate your spiritual decisions! All the components of “the good life” begin and end with God. Jesus Christ alone offers the abundant life. “I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly.” Don’t buy into the world’s pleasures and materialism that only lasts for the moment, when you can have treasure that is eternal!             Wisdom comes from a thriving relationship with God not from grades. The world wants you to believe in yourself which isn’t a bad character flaw unless it goes to the extreme. However when we discover truth, it isn’t an accident. Only God reveals truth. It doesn’t matter what arena, whether you are in school, work, or life, Truth only comes from God and all truth is God’s truth.   So if we need wisdom, where should we go? The same place where we find Truth. Since they are very related anyway. They should originate in the same place. And they do!             They both originate from God. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).             Am I opposed to education? Not in the least! I believe that education is a must for us to function in today’s society. I believe that the desire to learn is also Biblical. God wants us to be wise stewards of the intelligence that He entrusted to us. We need to grow in wisdom and understanding! However, my point is this, that we should not base our self-esteem on our ability to make good grades. We should also realize that God is all knowing. Wisdom comes from God and God alone. So if we need to know, can’t we ask the One who is all knowing to help us learn? As our friend James encourages us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, Who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).             Graduating senior, consistently study God’s Word to know what His will for your life is. Don’t just know some facts about the Bible, get to know the Author so you can understand it.             A teenage boy was deeply interested in scientific subjects, especially astronomy. So his father bought him a very expensive telescope. Since the young fellow had studied the principles of optics, he found the instrument to be most intriguing. He took it apart, examined the lenses, and made detailed calculations on the distance of its point of focus. The youth became so absorbed in gaining a technical knowledge of the telescope itself that he never got around to looking at the stars. He knew a lot about that fine instrument, but he missed seeing the wonders of the heavens.             As a believer, to know all the facts and figures contained in the Bible is not the end for which God has given us this Book. The purpose is that we might know the author personally and intimately. Do you want your life to start well and end well? Make knowing God your number one priority!!